Ashley Barrette’s Compound V twist towards the end of The Boys season 4 was perfectly foreshadowed by her costume design. Following the events of Gen V, Ashley Barrette’s The Boys season 4 story begins on a low note when Homelander demotes her after getting Sister Sage involved in the Seven. As a result, Ashley considers resigning from her job but struggles to gather the courage to make the move. Things take an even more tragic turn for Ashley when Tek-Knight passes away, and she starts fearing that Homelander will kill her after learning about her secret partnership with A-Train.

Surprisingly, despite all the odds stacked against her, Ashley refuses to leave with A-Train when he gives her the opportunity to flee with him. Instead, she stays behind, with a mysterious plan in the back of her head. When chaos ensues towards The Boys season 4’s ending moments and Homelander orders The Deep and Black Noir to eradicate all Vought employees, including Ashley, Ashley takes a drastic step: she injects herself with Compound V. Her decision to take Compound V may be surprising, but it was subtly hinted at by her costume.

Ashley’s Dress In One The Boys Season 3 Scene Revealed Her Place In Vought

Ashley Zebra Print Dress Symbolizes Something Deeper

In The Boys season 3’s finale, Homelander insults Ashley and shows her where she stands in Vought International by forcing her to take off her wig. Although embarrassed, Ashley surrenders because she fears that Homelander will kill her if she does not obey his command. After watching this scene, several viewers noticed that Ashley was wearing a zebra print dress, which perfectly symbolized her place in Vought. Just like a zebra is usually a prey for predators in the wild, Ashley, too, is a prey for powerful supes like Homelander.

…the more she feels like a prey in The Boys season 4 , the more she is drawn to the idea of injecting herself with Compound V.

She liked to believe that she had some semblance of control over others in The Boys‘ initial seasons. Even throughout The Boys season 4’s runtime, Ashley struggles to take back control but keeps getting looked down upon by almost every character. Not only does Cameron Coleman break up with her, but even The Deep asks her to step back from bullying him. However, the more she feels like a prey in The Boys season 4, the more she is drawn to the idea of injecting herself with Compound V.

Why Sister Sage Helped Homelander Despite Betrayal In The Boys Season 4 Ending Explained By Star

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Ashley’s Dress In The Boys Season 4’s Finale Foreshadows Her Rise To Power

Her Leopard Print Dress Hints At How She Could Be A Threat To Other Supes

Recalling how Ashley’s zebra-print dress perfectly symbolized her powerlessness in The Boys season 3, a viewer (via Reddit) realized that her costume in season 4’s finale could also have a deeper meaning. They noticed that Ashely Barrett was wearing a jaguar print dress in The Boys season 4‘s episode 8, which seemed to completely flip the symbolism of her attire from the previous season. While the zebra print dress in season 3 displayed her prey-like status and vulnerability in Vought, the jaguar print in season 4’s finale hints at a major transformation in her story.

Since jaguars are predators in the jungle, her new supe abilities will help her rise to power, potentially making her a threat to even some of the stronger supes.

As seen in The Boys season 4’s ending moments, Ashley injects herself with Compound V before The Deep and Black Noir can kill her. Moments later, she starts turning into something beastly before the show cuts off to another scene, maintaining an air of ambiguity surrounding her supe powers. However, since she, too, is now a supe — likely a powerful one — she will no longer be prey. Since jaguars are predators in the jungle, her new supe abilities will help her rise to power, potentially making her a threat to even some of the stronger supes.

What Supe Powers Could Ashley Have In The Boys Season 5?

She Could Perfectly Parody A Marvel Superhero

After Ashley injects herself with Compound V in The Boys season 4, she falls to the ground and her wig slips off her head. Before the show cuts to another scene, it seems like something grows inside her head. Since her trichotillomania (compulsive hair-pulling) has been a crucial driver of her story in The Boys, it seems likely that her powers will have something to do with her hair — or lack thereof. Since The Boys often parodies Marvel and DC superheroes, she could be The Boys‘ version of Marvel’s Medusa, who was last seen in the live-action medium in Marvel’s Inhumans.

Regardless of what powers she acquires in The Boys season 4, the costume theory suggests that she will rise in the ranks and become an apex predator like a jaguar. Although it seems unlikely she will be as powerful as Homelander, she might become strong enough to take on relatively weaker Teir 2 supes and join forces with the boys. This could spell trouble for The Deep because he disrespected her in The Boys season 4.